Starbursts are truly a classic movie theatre snack. There’s no better feeling than when the lights go down and the movie starts playing, and you reach into your bag of Starbursts to munch. They’re sweet, sometimes sour, and the perfect soft but chewy snack.
Compared to some of the other candies we’ve featured on this blog, Starburst is relatively new to the candy world. They were invented in the United Kingdom by a man named Peter Pfeffer in 1960, and were sold to the Mars Company. In 1967, these chewy treats were introduced in the United States and have been a popular treat ever since.
But did you know this beloved snack wasn’t always named Starburst? Originally, they were named Opal Fruits! I know… somehow, it’s just not as catchy.
Since their invention, there have been so many new variations of the candy. They now come in flavours like orange, lemon, strawberry, and cherry and, for even more fun, a mini version! You’re probably used to having to unwrap each individual candy before popping them into your mouth. But Starburst Minis come unwrapped, which make them our favourite movie theatre snack. They’re easier to eat, and just as flavourful!
But we still like to experiment. This is why we decided to put these mini treats to the test and freeze-dry them! Want to know how they turned out? Keep reading for our honest review.
Freeze-drying the Starburst Minis was a surprising process. Sometimes freeze-drying small candies makes them puff up (you should read our Jolly Rancher blog). But these Starburst Minis didn’t puff up at all. In fact, they turned into these small, super crunchy bites.
So did we like them? In all honesty, we could take them or leave them. Personally, we still prefer the original Starburst Minis. They’re softer, chewier, and are a pretty reliable fix for our sweet tooth. Plus, freeze-drying the Starburst Minis didn’t change their flavour much. The only effect was making them into a very, very crispy bite. Our rating? 1 star!
For us, we’ll stick to the original Starburst Minis. But, we must say, if you’re a fan of super crunchy snacks, you should definitely try the freeze-dried version! They’ll give you that satisfying crunch you’re looking for.
Overall, freeze-drying the Starburst Minis wasn’t a huge success. But that’s okay! We’ll always still pick up our bag of Starburst Minis to snack on in the movie theatre (#rideordie).